Challenge or bust...

The next 7 days are bound to be incredible...

After 22 hours on a bus we will arrive in Salt Lake City for Challenge '08. I am really excited to see what the Lord has in store with these next 7 days, (Shoot, I am even confident that great things are going to happen on the bus ride to and from SLC!) I love going into weeks like this knowing that He's already gone before us, that He will be faithful to show up and ultimately trusting that we will all come back a little bit different... maybe even changed, refreshed, renewed and dare I say challenged.


Its not necessarily wise to go into weeks like this exhausted but that is a pretty good description of my current state. But this exrovert is looking forward to some pretty great times with some pretty great people. There are 50 people from First embarking on this journey together. It is Jeremy's first official day as youth pastor. I am excited to see how this trip is going to jump start relationships with students for Jeremy and Brooke!

For those of you who like specifics... here are some names to be lifting up this week...

My "girls:" Lydia, Victoria, Anna and Cora
The "Roomies:" Sara and Allison

Supposedly there are going to be updates posted on this blog: www.challengeconference.com so if you want to take a peak at what is going on out in SLC there you go!

Starfield is leading worship and I am pumped! (Thank you Amy for introducing them...I will call you if they sing "Over my head!")

With that, I say peace out for a week! I look forward to the pictures that will be taken, the memories that will be made and the friendships that will be deepened and this verbal processor will need to talk about things once I get back!

Niangua River...

Thankfully I do not have pictures from the majority of the Spectacular Spontaneous Summer Solstice! I had an unfortunate run-in with a tree that led to the over-turn of the canoe. It is a pretty hilarious story (with only a few nasty bruises to show for it) but thankfully there is no documented proof of the incident. Had I taken my camera on the canoe, my beloved canon would be floating down the Niangua River and I would probably still be crying. However, the camera remained back at our camp site nice and dry. Here are a few of the pictures that were actually taken.

It was a fun weekend.

Spectacular Spontaneous Summer Solstice!

It is almost time to embark on the Spectacular Spontaneous Summer Solstice!

What could be better than a spontaneous road trip with friends?

Can you think of a better way to celebrate the first day of summer than to enjoy an afternoon floating down a river?

This weekend is sure to be a good time with good friends full of good memories hopefully captured with my camera. I'll be sure to share the good pictures...

Happy summer my friends!

Update on the Summer of Mandy....

The summer of 2008 has been great so far! The ESL praxis test is over, thank the LORD! Challenge is in a few weeks, camp preparations are under way, life is good. One thing I have realized is two decisions that I made this spring have really impacted this summer. Not taking a class and stepping down from coaching are two of THE best decisions I have made in a while... Because of both of things not being a part of this summer my stress level is low, non-existent at this point and I have much more time to hang out with people and do things like read and scrapbook and play the piano. It's been great.

Here is the progress on list....(plus some new additions!) ***New additions***

• ***Sand Volleyball
• ***Play Mexican train Dominoes
• Drive-in
• Wing-nuts game (Check!)
• Sushi-party (Check!)
• Music Theatre Wichita (Check, three more shows to go!) :)
• Thursday night jazz at Bradley Fair
• Sailing
• Movie at the Old Town Warren
• Putt-putt
• Camping
• Bowling (Check! Have I mentioned that I have THE best summer job?)
• Watch the OLYMPICS
• Watch Spiderman 1, 2, and 3
• Attend Primetime
• CHALLENGE in Salt Lake City
• Scrapbook
• Get a library card/visit Eva’s library (Check!)

Road trips to…

• Cedar Vale (Labor Day)
• Manhattan
• Concordia/Newton
• Springfield

Read some books...

• The Shack (Check!)
• 4 Loves
• The Last Lecture
• The Great Divorce

Summer of Mandy...

Last night Eva, Kara, and JWad and I made a list of all of the things that we want to do this summer... Here is the first draft of the list...some items are more specific to certain ones of us. I think it is a pretty great list... I am excited to see what the summer of 2008 has in store...

• Drive-in
• Wing-nuts game
• Sushi-party
• Music Theatre Wichita
• Friday night jazz at Bradley Fair
• Sailing
• Movie at the Old Town Warren
• Putt-putt
• Camping
• Bowling
• Watch the OLYMPICS
• Watch Spiderman 1, 2, and 3
• Attend Primetime
• CHALLENGE in Salt Lake City
• Scrapbook
• Get a library card/visit Eva’s library
• Road trips to…
  -Cedar Vale (Labor Day)
  -Manhattan
  -Concordia/Newton
• Read some books
  -The Shack
  -4 Loves
  -The Last Lecture
  -The Great Divorce

Loving people

Just love. Don't fix.

I have been challenged this week to simply love people and not try to fix them. It is hard for me to step aside and let the Lord do his work and to just love people right where they are, just as they are! It has brought me to my knees like never before. How do you love a person who has never received love before? My heart hurts because I want to learn to love this person well. My heart soars because I know the Lord is challenging me to better learn to love people, specifically those who aren't easy to love, those who don't let people in.

I love how the Lord brings people across our path to teach us and to draw us closer to Himself. How many times do we miss out on that opportunity? I realized this week with the entrance of this new friend into my world that the majority of the people in my world are easy to love. But I think because of that I have become too comfortable, too prideful in thinking that I'm doing a pretty job at this whole loving people thing when in reality what is important is figuring out how to love those people who are hard to love. Am I willing to step out of my comfort zone and love them with the love of Jesus and not my own agenda?



My friend Meaghan ended her most recent post with these three questions.

1. What do you want to excel at?
2. What are your priorities?
3. Are you practicing what you actually want to be good at?

Those questions go right along with what I've been learing this week, now I have to actually do something about it. I want to excel at loving people who have never received love, those people who are hard to love, those people who don't let people in, who need to be loved the most. My relationship with Jesus and the relaionships I have with people are my top priorities. My prayer is that the Lord will continue to give me opportunities to love those who are hard to love.